A TELLING JUXTAPOSITION

[schlomo]

A Telling Juxtaposition

The other day, my wife, avoiding the interstate crush of rush hour traffic, drove downtown. At a traffic stop, I just happened to glance at the towering condos and financial office buildings stretching across Chinatown. I’ve often marveled at this majestic array, but I noticed for the first time an anomaly. In a clearing between two skyscrapers, I saw just a bit of the top of a stubby pagoda. What a quaint cultural artifact!

Then I began to reflect. Years ago, before the massive development of Honolulu, this pagoda could well have been one of the tallest local structures, dwarfing neighborhood shops and apartments.

According to meteorologists, if a major hurricane hits Honolulu, much of the crowded skyline would be decimated. The pagoda, however, would probably remain unscathed in the wreckage. And the historic district in Chinatown would have to be reconstructed around it, confirming two of my favorite mantras: everything is relative, and so it goes.